Eleanor B. Thoresen

Saturday

Dec 21, 2013 at 2:55 PM

DOVER — Eleanor Billings Thoresen, born on Sept. 26, 1917, in Claremont, passed away in her sleep on Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2013, in Dover at Langdon Place, where she had resided with her husband, Alfred Melvin (Bud) Thoresen, for the past two years. They enjoyed 74 years of marriage and were openly affectionate with each other throughout their married life. She was the daughter of Fayette and Alice (Moody) Billings of Claremont.

DOVER — Eleanor Billings Thoresen, born on Sept. 26, 1917, in Claremont, passed away in her sleep on Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2013, in Dover at Langdon Place, where she had resided with her husband, Alfred Melvin (Bud) Thoresen, for the past two years. They enjoyed 74 years of marriage and were openly affectionate with each other throughout their married life. She was the daughter of Fayette and Alice (Moody) Billings of Claremont.

Ellie grew up in Claremont, where she graduated from Stevens High School in 1936, followed by Bay Path Community College in 1938. Bud and Ellie married on July 9, 1939, and lived in Claremont for 79 years. Ellie was a superb figure skater, Bud was a ski jumper, and together they took up downhill skiing and became very good skiers. During their early years of marriage, Ellie worked at Sullivan Machine Tool from 1939-42 until she had her son, A. Robert "Bob" Thoresen.

She greatly enjoyed being a mother, including a Den Mother for the Cub Scouts, and skiing with her family, going to all of Bob's races in high school and most in college. She was highly principled and would not sign an excuse when she ran into Bob at Mount Sunapee when he had skipped high school to ski. She served as secretary of the Mt. Sunapee Area Ski Club and the Viking Ski Club.

She re-entered the work force in 1961 with a new career as a medical assistant, first for Claremont General Hospital and then for Dr. Robert Shoemaker for 15 years. In 1975, she became a board certified medical assistant and later served as an adjunct faculty member for the New Hampshire Vocational Technical College in Claremont from 1976 to 1985 in the medical assistant program. She served as president of the Sullivan County Medical Assistants and the New Hampshire Association of Medical Assistants, where she was awarded a life membership in 1985 in recognition of her outstanding work for the State society.

Ellie was interested in history and served as a trustee of the Claremont Historical Society from 1970 to 1973 and the treasurer of Plains Cemetery Association, in Weathersfield, Vt., from 1979 to 1990. After completing genealogical research, she became a member of the Mayflower Society, as a descendent of Myles Standish.

Ellie took up golf when she was about 40 and became an avid and accomplished golfer. She won the N.H. Women's Golf Association Anna Merrill Trophy for the year 1975 and 1983. She was president of the Ladies League at the Claremont County Club in 1985. When Ellie and Bud retired, they wintered in Winter Haven, Fla., where they continued their love of golf. Ellie participated in the Senior Olympics of Florida and won a medal which qualified her for the National Senior Olympics, in San Antonio, Texas, in 1995. She won a bronze medal in the 75-80-year-old age group in spite of the fact that she had already lost vision in one eye from macular degeneration.

Ellie was a talented artist and was proficient in a number of mediums including oil painting, theorem painting, stenciling and Early American decoration. Bud and Ellie were a team using his woodworking skills and finish work and her stenciling of numerous foot stools, bread boards, lazy Susans and other craft items, which she gave away as gifts. She was also a talented seamstress and in 1940 made a beautiful wedding dress and later a flower girl dress for her granddaughter.

She was also a skilled cook. When Bob brought his future wife, Sue, to meet his parents, she made three pies for four people. Bud said she won his heart with her delicious apple pie. She learned all the Norwegian cooking from her mother-in-law and passed on that tradition to her son, daughter-in-law and grandchildren. She loved meeting people and in her later years, joined the Unitarian Church in Portsmouth.

Ellie cherished being with her family and had great joy in being with her grandchildren Kristin (John) Swartzendruber of Dover, and Erik (Traci) of Cambridge, Mass., and her great-grandchildren, Jackson and Avery Swartzendruber, and Lilli and Clemens Thoresen.

She enjoyed family time playing cards, visiting their woodlot in Perkinsville, Vt., the cottage at Lake Winnipesaukee and family trips. At age 78 she (with husband, son and daughter-in-law) went to Norway and hiked above the tree line to a remote family cabin. She especially enjoyed seeing her four great-grandchildren swim, dive and jump off the diving board, and she enjoyed many decadent chocolate cakes.

She was predeceased by her parents; her brother, Robert E. Billings, in 2001; and her sister, Dorothy Martell Clemons, in 2004.

The family would like to thank Langdon Place staff for the love and care they have given to Ellie and Bud.

A private family graveside service will be held in the spring in Claremont. Gifts in memory of Ellie may be given to the Stevens High School Alumni Association Scholarship Fund, 24 Opera House Square, Box 29, Claremont, NH 03743, or South Church, 292 State St., Portsmouth, NH 03801.

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